Show Me the Way Back (To the Stars)
by Thestral86
Summary: My take on what Duo Maxwell would be like if he had been blinded while he was still living on the streets of L2 and he learnt to "see" in the same way that Matt Murdock does in Daredevil. This happened because I was reading the captivating Gundam Wing fanfiction, The Ion Arc by Sunhawk while I was watching the Netflix series of Daredevil. Also on AO3 under the same username.
1. 1 Estrella Fugaz (Falling Star)

If you'd told me ten years ago that I would one day be instrumental in winning the biggest war in our history, I'd have laughed in your face. Not just because back then I was a tiny little street brat with a massive chip on my shoulder and a bad attitude, but also because, by that time I had been blind for three years.

The only reason I survived those three years of living the streets blind was Solo, he had helped me when everyone else had left me to die. To this day no one else has done as much for me as he did, not even Father Maxwell and Sister Helen who adopted me, or Professor G who taught me to overcome my disability and pilot a Gundam.

The three years I spent with the Sweepers, being trained by Professor G how to "see" without my eyes were brutal, but I was thankful for them in the end. G trained me hard, he was uncompromising in his expectations and by the time he had finished with me I was the best pilot alive and could navigate, fight and shoot better than most sighted people.

And no one could tell that I couldn't see.

Even now I'm surprised I managed to make it through the whole war without anyone figuring it out. I mean I'm good at distracting people from things I don't want to let them notice, but I have a few weaknesses that are difficult for me to cover up. For one, as good as I am at being able to "see" with my other senses, I couldn't read words or maps that weren't textured. If someone gave me a map that had been printed instead of hand drawn, I had no way of seeing the lines. I'm not entirely sure how I managed to fool the guys on that one, it was a dance I'm glad was over.

Or I had thought it was over…

"What the hell is this Heero!?" I waved the papers he had dropped on my table in his face irritably. Acting like I had been able to read them and was irritated by what they said, I was guessing that was the expected reaction judging by Heero's slight hesitation on giving them to me and the tension I could feel rolling off him.

"Director Une wants to offer you a job as a Preventer." Heero said blandly

I just gaped at him stupidly, my mind racing. What the hell! Who in their right mind would want me as a Preventer? I was a mouthy, disobedient little shit. And I didn't want to work as-

"You would be my partner." He added mildly

The gears working away in my mind crunched as I changed them hard mid thought. Work with Heero? Be his partner? Um, yes please! Sign me up now! And no that's totally not because I have the most ridiculous, useless crush on him! Or it's mostly not… I do also actually like working with the guy. We make an amazing team, somehow fitting together seamlessly. But if I worked as a Preventer I had to do-

"Paperwork? Heero, you know I hate paperwork! I can't be a Preventer, all you guys do is paperwork between getting shot at and saving people!"

"As partners we are able to split the duties. If you will take on the training to be our field medic, I will agree to complete all of our reports." He sounded like he was negotiating chores, I couldn't stop the laugh that bubbled forth and I sensed Heero tensing further.

"Chill Heero, I'm just laughing at the way you said it, not at your offer. I would love to work with you, and I'd be totally fine with getting medic training if it gets me out of paperwork! When do I have to get back to Une by?"

I heard a soft exhale from Heero that sounded like relief and felt the air of nervous tension he had been exuding since he came into my apartment vanish. Huh, I guess he kinda wanted to be my partner too. Who'd have thought.

"Director Une would like me to let her know this afternoon what your initial answer is then if you could return the paperwork to her by Friday if you have decided to take the job."

I kept the grimace off my face with difficulty. Signing printed paperwork was always a bit of a problem for me, I couldn't feel on the paper where I was meant to sign.

"You said no paperwork Heero." I whined theatrically "Just show me where I'm meant to sign and take it back to her today, I don't need to read it to know it's just stupid legal babble that I'd never understand anyway."

Heero just gave a slightly amused grunt and turned the papers to the last page tapping the bottom once. This is one of the reasons I love... I mean like this guy, he manages to do just what I need without even knowing. Or I'm pretty sure he doesn't know, surely Heero Yuy wouldn't keep it quiet if he'd worked out something like that.

I grinned at him and signed it in my large, loopy scrawl right where he'd tapped.

"There, done. Thanks partner. I can totally call you that without sounding like some cowboy try hard, cause you're my partner now. "

Heero huffed an amused breath and took the papers back.

"I will return tomorrow to give you your orientation packet and you can come in with me in the afternoon so I can show you around headquarters."


	2. 2 Luz de las Estrellas (Starlight)

I flopped down on my chair and stuck my feet up on my desk in the tiny office I was now sharing with Heero in Preventer Headquarters. Heero made an annoyed noise and shoved my feet onto the floor as he walked past to his own desk, where he sat on his squeaky chair and immediately started rifling through the stack of paperwork there. I was getting a very frustrated vibe from him.

"What's eating you Heero? I thought you'd be happy we've got our first case together." I brought my feet back up onto my desk as I tipped back in my chair, stretching.

"Hn."

"Really? That's all you're gonna give me? I thought we were past the point in our relatio… I mean partnership that we just grunt at each other."

I could practically feel his glare burning my skin. I grinned at him in return hoping to provoke him enough that he'd spill. I heard him take a measured breath in then he released it gently and I could feel him forcing his tense muscles to relax. I think he was convincing himself not to strangle me.

"Fine." He bit out. "I'm frustrated with your inability to take this seriously. Director Une has given this case to us because we are both far above the calibre of any other agent in this organisation. This is an important and dangerous case Duo. We really shouldn't be taking any cases for another two weeks at least, especially because you haven't completed your field medic training and you have yet to make yourself available to Medical to be cleared by them for field duty!" He slammed his fist down on his desk hard. "If this weren't so damn important I would be telling Une to give the case to someone else! But there are no other agents available that could do this and it is that bloody important that we have to do it despite every reason I don't want us to."

His heavy breathing filled the room in the resounding silence after his outburst, I think my heart even stopped beating for a moment. I know I forgot to breathe as I just sat at my desk gaping at him in shock. That was the most I had ever heard Heero say at one time, and I had never heard him swear.

"Um…." I had no idea what to say to any of that.

"And get your feet off the table." He spat as he started writing furiously on the papers on his desk.

"Ooookay… um… well firstly I want you to know that I do take this very seriously Heero, I know how dangerous this is going to be and I value both of our lives too much to take it lightly. Now about my medic training, I already know most of the basics from my training with G, so I'm a lot further along than they thought I'd be at this point. So I can have a chat with my trainer and go through any training he thinks is a priority before this mission… um, case. And would you believe me if I said I forgot about Medical?"

I totally hadn't, and I'm pretty sure Heero knew that but I've always gotta push and see what I can get away with. Heero sighed tiredly and I knew his anger had deflated.

"That's a good idea to talk with your trainer, can you do that today?"

"Yeah, he's got another group at the moment but I should be able to catch him after lunch and see when we can book in a solo session in the next two days so I can cram as much in as I can."

"Good. And no I don't believe that you forgot Medical Duo, get it done. Now."

I cringed internally, damn I thought I'd gotten away with that one. I'd been avoiding going to medical for two reasons, the first was just that I hate medical and wanted to avoid being there at all costs. I think that dates back to my days with G. I spent a lot of time being poked at by the doctors and scientists he had helping him, they tried a lot of treatments to help with what G wanted me to be able to do. And let me tell you it was definitely not rainbows and unicorns. A lot of what they did hurt. A lot. So I think I'm justified in my avoidance, thank you very much. The second reason was, I was afraid they would discover my blindness and say I couldn't be a Preventer, which I very much wanted to be. Now that I was here and had been able to work with Heero, I couldn't imagine doing anything else with my life. To be honest before Heero had come to my apartment with that offer I had been stuck in a rut. The war was over and we had all been given enough to get us by until we got on our feet, but I had settled in my apartment and then just kind of... existed. I hadn't been able to find anything that fit me. Until this. I needed this job now, I didn't want them to take it away from me.

"Right. I'll… just um… go there now then." I got unsteadily to my feet and wiped my suddenly damp, shaky, hands on my pants.

"Duo, are you ok?"

His voice was tentative and worried. I wondered what my face must be doing that it made him sound that way. I gave him a half truth.

"I'm fine, I just hate doctors." I tried to give him a smile and arrange my face into a more normal expression, I don't think it was very convincing.

"Do you want me to come with you?"

He was still speaking gently so I must have been doing a poor job of looking like I was fine.

"No, that's fine Heero. You have a lot you need to get done over the next two days. I'm a big boy, I can take myself to Medical. Thanks though."

I didn't give him a chance to say anything else, I walked out of our office and up the corridor towards medical as fast as my little legs could take me. I made it all the way to the sliding doors to medical before I let myself think. I stood outside and took a steadying breath, this could be the end of my short career as a Preventer. I heard this doors hiss open in front of me and the familiar presence of Sally Po stepped out.

"Duo Maxwell! We've been trying to get hold of you for three weeks, how nice of your to finally show up."

I could hear the evil grin she was wearing in her voice. She grabbed my arm and dragged me inside as if she was afraid I was going to make a run for it. In truth she wouldn't be far off, I really wanted to make a run for it. But I also knew that I had avoided this for as long as I could and there was no more running from it.

Sally dragged my through into a smaller room and shoved me into a chair.

"Okay Maxwell, we are going to get this medical exam done as quickly and painlessly as possible for both of us, so I no longer have to deal with Director Une and Yuy bothering me about it."

I sat resignedly in the chair while she took my blood pressure, heart rate and oxygen levels. I managed to not lose it when she drew my blood for testing and I managed to not punch her in the face while she tested my reflexes and hearing. And then came the bit I was dreading. I heard her click the little pen light on and then I assume she was shining it in my eyes. I heard her shocked inhale and she leaned in closer for five seconds before abruptly standing up.

"Duo, what the fuck! I mean how is that even possible! Duo are you actually blind? I'm not just imagining this am I? Your pupils are non-responsive! Either you're brain dead or you're blind and as you have been sitting here interacting with me you can't be brain dead, but how the hell can you be blind!? You navigate just fine, you have just about perfect marksmanship skills, and you bloody well track people moving with your eyes. You're doing it now! How is that possible!?"

She was pacing swiftly from one side of the small room to the other and her voice grew increasingly hysterical. I gave a heavy sigh and grabbed her arm on her next lap past me.

"Please sit down Sally, you're getting yourself all worked up." I told her as gently as I could.

"I think I'm justified in getting worked up Duo! This is insane!"

She did sit down though, so I counted that as a win. I took a deep breath and tried to decide what to tell her. Enough to explain, but not enough to freak her out.

"Yes, technically, I am blind." I took another deep breath. "It happened when I was five. When I was twelve Professor G found me and he trained me. He also did something, I'm not entirely sure what, but it involved some doctors and scientists and a butt load of pain for me. Whatever he did it lets me see… sort of. My eyes still can't work, he couldn't fix them but he made it so I can interpret the world around me in a different way, that I think of as seeing. It's partly that he enhanced my other senses and partly something I like to think of as a bit like sonar, echolocation and heat sensing all rolled into one. As for my eyes tracking you, my corneas where irreparably damaged but my eye muscles were still functioning. I just had to relearn how to move them in the correct direction without the advantage of being able to see. I barely have to think about it anymore, it's so ingrained."

She was silent for a long time and I started fidgeting.

"I have no idea what to do with this information Duo."

"Am I going to lose my job?"

"God, I don't know Duo! You obviously fought in the war and piloted a Gundam without anyone ever guessing that you were blind. But normal procedure says I can't give you medical clearance, which would mean that, yes you would lose your job."

I let my shoulders slump and went to stand. Sally put a hand on my shoulder and pushed me back down.

"I wasn't finished yet Duo. I think we need to go see Director Une and talk about this. This isn't a situation where I think normal procedure is going to work. If you can convince Une that you can do this job despite the fact that you are blind then we will sort out the medical clearance."

I gave her my biggest grin. I had not been expecting her to be on my side in this.

"Sally, you are without a doubt the coolest chick I know!"

"Don't get too happy Maxwell, you still have to convince Une."

When we walked into Une's office her PA glared daggers at us that even I couldn't miss.

"You don't have an appointment with the Director and she is very busy right now, as you should well know Agent Maxwell as you are on the Branson Case."

"We know she is very busy right now but we don't have time to wait for an appointment. It is urgent that Agent Maxwell and I speak with Director Une immediately. I'm afraid it is something of import to the Branson Case."

The PA sniffed sceptically but called Une all the same and passed on Sally's words.

"The director says she can see you. Go through." She sniffed again, as if to show that she thought we were wasting the director's important time.

Une stopped typing away on her computer as Sally and I walked in and sat in front of her desk.

"What can I do for you two that can't wait till after this blasted mess is sorted out?"

"Well Director Une, we needed to talk with you about Agent Maxwell's Medical clearance. You see there has been a bit of a problem with giving him a clearance. It's difficult to explain. I'm not sure where to start actually."

"I'm short on time and patience Dr Po, get on with it." Une began typing away on her computer again as she said that.

"I'm blind."

Everything stopped, Une's typing cut off abruptly and I could feel both her and Sally's eyes on me. Oh, I'd just said that. Okay. Brain to mouth filter is apparently so non-existent that I don't even realise when I'm going to blurt something out. Great.

"Explain Maxwell."

She sounded forcefully calm. I told her everything I had told Sally and I also went into a bit more detail about how I was able to shoot and pilot without my blindness being a handicap. When I finished she was quiet for such a long time that I was tempted to ask if she had fallen asleep, but I somehow don't think she would appreciate my humour. When she did finally speak her voice was measured and clipped.

"I am going to grant you a provisional trial period of six months, during which you will need to prove that this will not be a detriment to you being able to perform your job. If I am not satisfied with your work at any point within that six months you will be relieved of duty immediately. You should be very grateful you are even getting this chance, if you were anyone else I wouldn't be doing this Maxwell, but I know how good you are. If you have achieved everything you have while being blind and no one being any the wiser of it, then I will give you the benefit of my faith in you. Do not disappoint me Maxwell, especially not with this Branson cluster fuck!"

"Yes mam!" I gave her a jaunty salute and Sally and I left her office with me practically skipping, a grin stretching my face.

I couldn't believe that she was letting me prove myself, this was amazing! I would prove to her that as a team, Heero and I were unbeatable.

I skidded to a stop in the middle of the hall, Sally almost running into me I stopped so quickly. Heero. Shit, what was I meant to tell Heero? Did they expect me to tell him? Would they tell him? I wasn't sure how I felt about the idea of him knowing. I'd had to keep it a secret for so long it felt unnatural to be talking as openly as I had been for the last two hours. I didn't not want him to know as such, I just didn't want it to change how he saw me or treated me.

"Do I have to tell Heero?"

"Well," she said slowly. "It would probably be a good idea, you are partners and he should be aware of anything that might affect the way you can carry out your duties or that might be a problem in some situations. It would be the right thing to do to tell him, Duo. But I can't force you to tell him if you decide not to. Une may decide that she will let him know, but that will likely depend on if she thinks it will affect how you two work together negatively. She would talk to you first if she decides he needs to know. Other than that it's up to you Duo."

I'm not sure if that was a relief or not. At least if they were going to make me tell him, then it had to happen and I didn't have to agonise over what he will think.

I left Sally to go find my medic trainer to talk about the extra session while I turned it over and over in my mind.


End file.
